Dietary Patterns and Lung Cancer Risk

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, with recognised risk factors including tobacco exposure, air pollution and genetic susceptibility. Emerging evidence highlights the role of habitual diet in modulating lung cancer risk through complex interactions between nutrient intake, inflammatory pathways and metabolic regulation. Broadly defined dietary patterns—such as Mediterranean, prudent (plant-rich), Western (high in red and processed meats) or region-specific styles—offer a holistic perspective beyond individual nutrients. Fruit, vegetable and wholegrain consumption tend to confer protective effects, in part through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, while high intakes of processed meats, alcohol and saturated fats may elevate risk. Interplay with smoking status and host genetics further modifies these associations, underscoring the need to tailor dietary recommendations to individual risk profiles. Recent advances in nutri-omics have begun to unravel how diet influences microRNA expression and epigenetic regulation in the lung, suggesting potential molecular targets for prevention. Translation of these findings into public health strategies promises to reduce lung cancer burden on a global scale, especially among high-risk populations such as current and former smokers.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A comprehensive meta-analysis of cohort and case-control studies assessed dairy product and calcium intake in relation to lung cancer risk. The pooled evidence indicated no significant association between total dairy, milk, cheese or calcium consumption and incidence of lung cancer, providing clarity on a previously inconclusive relationship. In parallel, a large case-control study in the United States derived distinct dietary patterns using factor analysis. Adherence to a “Tex-Mex” and a “fruits and vegetables” pattern was linked to substantially reduced odds of non-small cell lung cancer, whereas a Western or “American” pattern was associated with increased risk. These effects were most pronounced for squamous cell carcinoma and among smokers. Host genetic variants in inflammatory response genes appeared to modify the diet–cancer relationship, supporting the concept of gene–diet interaction in lung carcinogenesis.

Dietary Patterns and Lung Cancer Risk publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dietary patterns and lung cancer risk across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dietary pattern: A composite of foods and beverages habitually consumed that reflects typical eating behaviour.

Mendelian randomisation: A method using genetic variants as proxies for modifiable exposures to infer causal relationships in observational data.

Mediterranean diet: A dietary style rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, fish and olive oil, with moderate wine consumption.

Nutri-omics: The integrated study of how nutrients affect gene expression, proteins and metabolites at the molecular level.

Case-control study: An observational design comparing individuals with a disease (cases) to those without (controls) to identify associated exposures.

References

1. MicroRNAs and the Mediterranean diet: a nutri-omics perspective for lung cancer. Journal of Translational Medicine (2024).
2. Associations between diet and incidence risk of lung cancer: A Mendelian randomization study. Frontiers in Nutrition (2023).
3. Dairy Product, Calcium Intake and Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Different dietary patterns and reduction of lung cancer risk: A large case-control study in the U.S.. Scientific Reports (2016).
5. Association between dietary approaches to stop hypertension eating pattern and lung cancer risk in 98,459 participants: results from a large prospective study. Frontiers in Nutrition (2023).